


Future + Wedding + Family + Reunions

by Nikka001



Series: Our Lives Can Still Go On [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Caring Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), Established Relationship, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Jack Dalton Lives (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton is Riley Davis' Parent, Light Angst, POV Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), Parental Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), Parenthood, Surprise Ending, Weddings, stable relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29762031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikka001/pseuds/Nikka001
Summary: What's a wedding day without a little drama?
Relationships: Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Our Lives Can Still Go On [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2112213
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	1. Saying I Do Is Going To Be Easy With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's a wedding day without a little drama?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, there is so much that I wanna say about this final story but I also don't wanna give anything away so please just enjoy and tell me what you all think. I love hearing from each and every one of you. 
> 
> That being said, I'm sorry for any strong emotions this story may cause. Also, if you have any questions about the timeline, please read the story carefully and you will hopefully understand it all. 
> 
> -Annika

* * *

Riley stands at the kitchen sink, the water running as she scrubs out the bowl in her hands and places it on the rack next to the sink alongside the other dishes from dinner. She picks up another bowl and begins rinsing it out when she feels two arms wrap around her waist from behind and a pair of lips press a kiss to her bare shoulder.

She smiles at the feeling of his lips on her skin and chuckles when he nuzzles his face into her neck. “Mac, I thought you went to bed already.”

Mac kisses her neck and then rests his chin on her shoulder. “Can’t sleep without you. You know that.”

Turning off the water and placing the bowl next to the other ones on the rack, Riley wipes her hands on the towel hanging from the hook on the wall above the sink and then turns in Mac’s arms. She brings her arms up to loop around his neck and stretches up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips.

“Yeah well, I would’ve been in eventually,” she tells him, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Bringing his hands up from her waist, Mac covers her hands with his and threads their fingers together before turning his head to the side to place a kiss on the inside of one of her wrists. He smiles against her skin, matching the smile on her lips, and keeps his face there against her wrist until she moves her hand down to caress his cheek. 

“You know, we’re breaking a lot of traditions right now,” Riley says as she pulls his face to hers so she can kiss his cheek. “We’re not supposed to even see each other until the actual wedding, let alone be kissing.” 

Mac hums lightly and lets his eyes flutter closed while resting his head gently against her shoulder, sighing when she combs her fingers through his hair. “Maybe if you weren’t so beautiful then I wouldn’t want to be kissing you all the time. You should really probably do something about that.”

Riley smacks him on the back of the head. “Excuse you, don’t be such a smartass. I’m only pointing it out, alright? Besides, I don’t think either of us wanted to spend a night away from Jackson.”

“You are right about that.” Mac lifts his head from her shoulder and takes his hands in hers while taking a few steps back and pulling her with him. “Because I never, ever, want to spend a single day apart from the two people I love the most.”

Smiling and letting him lead her down the hallway towards their bedroom, Riley laughs, “Is that right?”

“You know it is. And after tomorrow, it’ll become reality.”

They reach their bedroom, his back hitting the closed door and Riley continuing forward until she’s flush against him, their arms raised above them and pressed against the door. She smiles and dives in to capture his returning smile in a passionate kiss. They laugh together as he pulls one of his hands from hers and slides it down the wood until he finds the doorknob. Wrapping his fingers around the knob, Mac twists and starts to push the door open when they hear Jackson crying out from his bedroom down the hall. 

“Mommy! Daddy! It’s a monster! Help!”

They both pause, their lips mere millimeters apart, their breathing heavy, and Mac’s hand resting on the doorknob mid twist. Riley pulls back and sighs deeply while Mac drops his hand from the doorknob and onto her waist, his head falling back against the door with a light thud.

“Mommy will be right there, baby!” Riley calls back over her shoulder.

She turns back to Mac and grabs his face in her hands, pulling him forward to place a quick kiss on his lips.

“I’ll be back in a few. You go get into bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow and I don’t want you passing out in the middle of the ceremony.” She pats him on the chest and pries his hands off of her waist so she can turn and make her way down the hallway and into their son’s room, smiling at Mac before she pulls the door closed behind her.

***

With the sun shining in through the window, Mac takes a deep breath and finishes tucking his white shirt into the waistband of his suit pants. He fastens the buttons, secures the cuffs of his shirt, and then grabs the suit jacket from where it’s draped across the back of the chair in front of him. As he pulls on the jacket, adjusting the collar as he does, there’s a knock on the hotel room door.

“It’s open, Boze,” Mac calls.

He hears the door open and turns around with a smile on his face, fully expecting Bozer to be walking in. It quickly turns to surprise when he not only finds Bozer in his room but Matty as well. His smile falters for just a moment and he takes a few small steps forward, stopping until he’s right in front of them.

“Matty, I thought you were helping Riley out. Is everything okay? Is she okay? Is Jackson okay? What’s wrong?” he spews off the questions in rapid succession, his stomach already twisting in knots from worry and his heart feeling as if it’s beating right out of his chest. 

Bozer steps forward into Mac’s space and grabs him by the shoulder, squeezing gently to force Mac to look up at him. “Mac, calm down, alright? Everyone is fine. Leanna has Jackson and they’re sitting with my parents. Riley is still in her suite getting ready. We just came here to talk. We’ve uh--” Bozer pauses, looking over his shoulder at Matty, silently asking for permission. Once he sees her nod, he turns back to his friend. “Mac, we’ve got something to talk to you about. It involves Jack.”

“Jack?” Mac asks, brows knitting together tightly in confusion. “What about Jack?”

Matty and Bozer exchange a look before Matty sighs and pulls out her phone. She taps away on the screen and then reluctantly it seems, hands the phone over to Mac. 

Taking it from Matty, Mac looks over what’s been pulled up on the screen. He glances up from the phone. “An audio file? What’s on it?”

“Seventy-two hours ago, that audio file was brought to my attention by a friend of mine at the DOD. He said that only a handful of their techs listened to what was on it and that once he heard it himself, he knew he had to get it to me. Mac, you need to listen.”

Leaning forward and reaching up, Matty presses play on the screen and then takes a step back as the speaker seems to jump to life. The first few seconds are nothing but static and white noise that is grating on his nerves and then Mac hears it. He hears the telltale sound of a radio frequency being shifted, the highs and lows of the static as whoever is on the other side must be turning the knob to find the right channel. 

_ “--can hear me, this is Jack Dalton--mer Delta Force and CIA. I repeat--you can hear me, this is Jack Wyatt Dalton. I’ve been held captive in some cave in...damn, I don’t know where, alright? This is Jack Dalton. I am alive and I am ready to come home. Please, I’m alive. Come and find me, Mac. Come and find me, please.” _

The recording stops and Mac feels as if he can’t breathe. His chest is tight and it seems as if the floor falls away from underneath his feet when his knees buckle and he drops down just a little. He would’ve fallen straight to the floor had it not been for Bozer’s quick thinking, grabbing Mac around the waist and keeping him upright. 

Mac holds onto Bozer’s arms as he’s led over to the chair in front of the window and lowered down onto the cushioned seat. He’s keeping his gaze on the floor, knowing full well that if he looks at either one of them right now, he won’t be able to keep himself from falling apart completely.

“Matty?” Mac asks, sniffling when he feels the tears starting to prick at his eyes. “What is this? It’s not really Jack, is it? I mean...it can’t be him. He died. We were at his funeral.”

“I know. We were all there and...I don’t quite understand any of it just yet but, it’s him, Mac. That’s Jack on there. He’s been found and he’s been brought home. He’s okay.”

Mac finally lifts his head to look Matty in the eyes, hers just as wet as his must be at this very moment. She’s giving him a sort of half-smile, one that shows she understands just how bittersweet this all must be. After all, she’s the one that’s known Jack the longest. She’s the one who had to break the news of his “death” to all of them and now…

“What happens now?” Mac drags a hand across his face to rid himself of the tears on his cheeks and sits up a little higher in his seat. 

“Now,” Matty begins, looking first up at Bozer and then to Mac, “we find a way to tell Riley that Jack is alive and waiting for us at the Phoenix. We figured you’d wanna be the one to tell her though.”

Mac nods, dropping his gaze to the floor and fidgeting his fingers in his lap. Of course, he should be the one to tell her. It only makes sense that it’s him. They’ve been there for each other throughout everything that’s happened over the last seven years and he couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime than the mother of his child and the love of his life. She’s been his rock since everything started falling apart and it’s only because he had her by his side that he was able to finally start putting the pieces back together again. 

And even though they had Jackson, their sweet, sweet boy who they love more than life itself, there will always be a place in both of their hearts that only one person can fill. He thought it would be empty for the rest of his life. He thought that he’d have to live with the pain of losing Jack forever and now...now maybe he won’t have to.

With a heavy sigh, preparing himself for what he has to do next, Mac rises from his seat and starts towards the door. He stops just as he reaches the door and turns back to look at Matty and Bozer. “Thank you, both of you, for telling me. Matty, can you send me that file? I don’t think Riley will be able to believe what I’m saying without proof.”

Matty nods. “Will do, Mac. Good luck. We’ll be outside waiting if you want to go and see him right after. Just come and find us when you’re both ready.”

Smiling at them both, Mac pulls open the door and steps out, letting it fall closed behind him. His mind is racing as he makes his way toward the room Riley’s in, trying to figure out the best way to break the news. There’s no easy way to say it, he knows that. And he doesn’t even know if she’ll believe him, or how she might react if she does.

His phone beeps as he gets closer to where Riley is, and he barely glances down at the screen before stopping in front of the door. He lifts a fist, hesitates, and then knocks lightly on the door.

A few seconds later it opens just a crack and Diane’s face peers at him. “Mac? Riley’s still getting ready, is something wrong?”

He shakes his head. “Uh, no, nothing’s wrong. I just need to talk to Riley about something. Something important.”

Diane glances behind her. “Riley, honey, Mac’s here. He said he needs to talk to you.”

“Can it wait?” Riley’s voice drifts through the room. “The ceremony’s going to be starting soon and we’re not supposed to see each other yet.”

He shifts on his feet. “No, I know that. But this is important.” He takes a deep breath. “Riles, it’s about Jack.”

She takes Diane’s place a second later, the door open wider. “What’s happened to Jackson?”

If he weren’t so focused on his current task, he’d take more time to admire how beautiful Riley looks in her wedding dress. “Jackson’s fine,” he assures her.

Her brows furrow tightly. “But you said--”

“Jack’s alive.”

Her face falls. “Mac, that’s not funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny.” He steps forward and grips her shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. “Riley, Jack’s alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aghh! Cliffhanger! I know. I hate cliffhangers too, however, I loved writing this one. The idea for this just kind of came to me while I was in the middle of writing the beginning of the story so I really hope that you all like it. I mean, I wouldn't mind if it were the truth but alas...it is not. 
> 
> Otherwise, I hope you've all enjoyed the journey so far and hope that you stick around just a little while longer to see how everything comes together. I really like how the entirety of this one turned out and I hope that you do too!
> 
> Let me know what you think so far! 
> 
> -Annika


	2. There's No Place I'd Rather Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will apologize now for any ugly crying that happens. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> -Annika

He doesn’t remember much about being rescued, really. He remembers the sudden loud noises and the arms wrapping around his waist to hoist him up off the dirt floor. But mostly, he remembers the feeling of the sun. The warmth of the sun as they carried him out of that bunker and into the daylight of the world outside. He hadn’t been outside in...how long? He can’t remember. It’s been so long since he’s seen anything aside from the people that came in every day to chuck a piece of stale bread or rotten fruit at him. It’s a feeling that he welcomes. The warmth of the sun and the strength of their arms as he was lifted into what he assumes was a chopper and finally, finally, taken home. 

The next thing he feels is the cool sensation of something being applied to the wounds on his arms and hands. It’s one thing he’d been in short supply of where he was. He keeps his eyes closed for just a little longer, relishing in the feeling and praying that it never ends. At least, anytime soon.

It ends sooner than he’d like, though, a loud noise startling both him and the medic attending to his injuries. He freezes for a split second as the medic ducks inside the supply closet behind them, before he’s jumping up out of his seat and turning to confront the situation like the soldier that he was trained to be. 

“Jack?” 

The voice is familiar to him. The face — _ that face _ — is familiar to him but he just...he can’t…

Bringing one hand up to his face, Jack closes his eyes and presses the heel of his palm against his forehead, trying to get his bearings. He knows her. He knows that he does but...he just can’t remember. There are too many memories clambering together inside his brain, all of them fighting to be the one, and it’s too much. He can’t take it anymore. He just...he needs…

“Jack, it’s okay. It’s just me.”

She grabs his wrist in her hands and the touch of her hands lights a fire beneath his skin and he juts his head back, eyes opening wide. Her wide eyes, full of tears, are staring back at him and he knows it now. The feeling of her skin against his is all too familiar to him.

He knows her. He  _ loves  _ her.

Jack draws in a quick shaky breath, his throat already thick despite not having said a word since they first brought him in. 

“Ri?” he chokes out through the tears that are already streaming down his face.

Riley smiles at him, laughing through her own tears, and nods. “Yeah, Jack. It’s me. It’s Riley, your daughter.”

His  _ daughter _ .  _ His _ baby girl. He lets out another choked sob and brings his other hand up to cup her face, his thumb brushing against the skin of her cheek and wiping away a falling tear. Riley closes her eyes and covers his hand with one of hers before she’s being pulled into a hug, his arms wrapping around her waist and holding her close. She sobs against his chest while Jack buries his face into her neck and cries. It’s her. The one person that kept him sane all those years because all he could do when they were ripping into him was pray that he could stay alive long enough to make it back to her.

He tightens his grip when he feels her starting to pull away and he hears her laugh, her body shaking against him.

“Don’t go. Not yet, please,” he pleads with her but lets her pull back anyways, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders. 

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” She smiles at him, her cheeks still wet with tears but the sadness in her eyes is gone. It’s been replaced with something that he just can’t figure out and he knows it’s going to drive him nuts until he does. “I just...I just wanna look at you, okay? It’s been a long time and I just — I need to make sure that this is real.” 

Jack nods and lets her look him over while he does the same for her. She takes a step back to get a better look at him and it’s only when she does this, that Jack realizes one thing that he hadn’t noticed before. A big thing, he figures.

He scans his eyes again over the skirt of her dress and the lace on the sleeves before he brings his eyes back up to meet hers.

“You’re dress...is white. It’s uh, I don’t — are you wearing...a wedding dress?” He hates that he’s stumbling over his words but he can’t help it. He knew that he’d been gone for a long time, he did, but seeing her like this now just makes it much more real. It makes him realize just how long he’s actually been gone. 

Riley looks down at her dress and then back up at Jack, her cheeks a bit flushed now and her arms falling to smooth out the bodice. “Yeah, I am.” 

Jack feels his resolve break and he brings up a hand to cover his mouth while letting out a half sort of sob as the realization hits him.

“You’re getting married?” Jack asks, his heart breaking when she nods and lifts her hand to show him the small sapphire ring on her finger. “That’s amazing, Ri. I’m so happy for you. And so...I’m so proud.” He swallows again. “Do I...do I get to meet the lucky guy?”

Riley smiles. “I think he’d like that. He wanted to give me some time to see you first, but he’s waiting out in the hall right now.”

“Right now?” Jack blanches, taking a step back, ready to run, but Riley grabs a hold of one of his hands to keep him put.

“It’s okay, Jack. There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.” She wraps her fingers tightly around his hand and tugs on it to get him to move a bit closer.

Jack is skeptical, not sure about meeting someone who must be so incredibly important to his baby girl, especially in the condition he’s in now, but one look in Riley’s eyes tells him that there really is nothing to worry about. She’s smiling at him, her lips turned gently up at the corners and her eyes soft, as she leads him forward until they’re closer to the center of the infirmary. It’s when she squeezes his hand slightly that he realizes she’s asking if he’s ready. He wants to say no, to give them more time alone before strangers are introduced to the mix, but he can tell by just looking at her that this is what needs to happen. 

He nods to her, letting her know he’s ready, and braces himself as Riley drops his hand and steps closer to the doors. 

“Okay, you can come in now,” she calls out into the hallway, her voice soft and warm as she speaks to whoever is on the other side of the doors.

He stands up a little taller, hands trembling at his sides, and puts on a small smile that he hopes can pass as a genuine one. At least for the time being. 

The doors creak open, letting in the light from the windows in the hallway outside, and two figures enter into the infirmary. He lets his eyes adjust to the lighting and when they do, he is finally able to see who exactly it is that just stepped inside.

He sobs out through a wet smile and this one he doesn’t have to fake. “Mac?”

Both men rush forward and wrap their arms around each other, Jack holding on for dear life and cradling the back of Mac’s head in one hand, while Mac buries his face in the crook of Jack’s neck and lets the tears fall. He sobs into Jack’s shoulder while Jack cries against his hair, keeping Mac close; the fear of losing either him or Riley still weighing heavily in the back of his mind.

“Mommy, who’s that hugging daddy and why are they crying? Are they okay?”

The small voice alerts Jack to the other presence in the room and when he pulls back from the hug, he watches as Riley crouches down to get on the same level as the young boy standing next to her, his hand gripped tightly in hers. He’s looking back and forth from Riley to Mac and him, a very concerned frown on his tiny face. 

Riley brushes back some of the dark curls that had fallen in front of the boy’s eyes and smiles lovingly at him. “It’s okay, baby. Daddy is just fine. He and Grandpa Jack just haven’t seen each other in a very, very long time.”

Jack gasps at the same time the little boy does, both sets of eyes going wide as they lock onto each other. Their voices mix together as they both let out a “Grandpa?”

A second later the little boy is bouncing excitedly on his feet, a wide grin taking over his face. “Mommy! Is it really Grandpa Jack?”

Riley laughs and nods. “Yeah, baby, it’s really Grandpa Jack.”

“Can I go say hi?” he whispers loudly into Riley’s ear, laughing when she nods and slips his hand out of hers so he can run towards Jack with his arms open wide. 

Jack acts on instinct, crouching down so he can scoop the little boy into his arms. “H-hey little man,” he says nervously as he stands up again, his arms wrapped tightly to hold onto the small child. “What’s your name, huh?”

The little boy smiles proudly with his gaptoothed grin. “Jackson James Davis MacGyver, and I am six and three quarters.”

Jack’s eyes dart up to meet Riley’s watery ones, her hands clasped together in front of her mouth and Mac now standing next to her with an arm wrapped around her waist to keep her close. They’re smiling happily and he gives them a smile right back before turning his smile to the little boy in his arms.

“Grandpa, you’re not dressed for the wedding,” Jackson states matter a factly, pointing out the rough edge on the collar of Jack’s uniform shirt, before he twists in Jack’s arms to look back at his parents. “Mommy, Grandpa Jack isn’t dressed for the wedding. If he doesn’t have to wear a suit then I don’t have to either, right?”

Mac and Riley both laugh as they take a few steps forward to join the pair. 

“Sorry, little man,” Mac says as he reaches out to adjust the tie clipped onto the front of Jackson’s shirt, laughing at the stink face he makes when Mac boops him on the tip of the nose. “That’s not how this works. Grandpa Jack didn’t know about the wedding until just a little bit ago so he’s excused from having to dress up. You, on the other hand, have no choice. Nice try, though.”

“Do I have time?” Jack asks suddenly.

Riley cocks her head to the side. “Time for what?”

Jack glances down at his attire. “Time to get changed. I’m sure Matty’s got something in her stash of undercover getups that I could throw on.”

Mac shakes his head and places a hand on Jack’s arm. “Jack, there is no pressure, alright? We aren’t expecting you to just—”

“Just what?” Jack cuts him off and sends him a raised brow. “If you think that I’m going to miss out on walking my baby girl down the aisle now that I have that chance, then you are definitely not as smart as I remember.”

They all laugh and Jackson bounces up and down in his grandpa’s arms while shouting happily, “Grandpa Jack is coming to the wedding!”

Jack nods and holds his fist out, chuckling when Jackson hits his tiny fist against Jack’s, “Right you are, little man. Right you are. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has stuck around through this series. I really, really, greatly appreciate you all. Everyone has been so supportive of this story and I'm so glad that you all love it as much as I do. 
> 
> Please, let me know what you thought below! I love hearing from all of you.
> 
> -Annika


End file.
